Well this list is somewhat personal to me. Years ago (8 years to be exact) I got into film. My go to list was the American Film Institute's ranking of the 100 best films. I didn't take it as the word of god, but without any real idea where to start, this seemed like a decent launching ground. Still today a great deal of my top 100, and all but one film in my top 10 were featured on this original list. 9 years later the AFI is redoing the list, and although you lose the 10 year significance, it does seem like the list would be quite different. Looking at the ballot today I found myself dismayed for a couple reasons. For starters, I have only seen about 384 films of the 400 ballot (I honestly thought I'd need to see 5). Then I looked at the films I haven't seen and I shook my head that these were being even considered for the list. Throughout the 400 I shook my head and said "please don't vote for that". I literally just breezed through it to find films I haven't seen yet, so I can't complain much about worthwhile films that were secluded. Of the films I haven't seen there are a few surprises:

Risky Business I have a bit of a problem with, and I can't understand the AFI's fascination with Hoosiers. It was bad enough that Dennis Hopper was nominated for that over Blue Velvet, but I figure 20 years later people would rightfully ignore the film. Also seeing Poor Little Rich Girl as opposed to Tourneur's much better regarded Blue Bird, but I think the film is more for Mary Pickford than Tourneur. The inclusion of both Cabin in the Sky and Stormy Weather seems very much in tune with the industry's dire need to feel like they're embracing black people, and the recent DVD releases of both films could have something to do with it. Ace in the Hole is the first film alphabetically on the list, and that is a remarkably good sign. The only problem is based upon the AFI's criteria that the film must be available, I don't know how that qualified.

Curious to note is Last Tango in Paris is on the list, and if that's an American film, well it just goes to show you how pointless these distinctions are. George Cukor's Star is Born was nominated, but Wellman's superior (IMO) earlier version was not. Sleepless in Seattle as well as An Affair to Remember represent the safe bland crap that typically populate such AFI lists. Philadelphia is also on the ballot, but I doubt it has a chance in hell of making the list. So here's a copy of their PDF ballot, take a look and voice your complaint. Lots of new additions to the old list, including The Shining.

I didn' care much about the original list when it came out, and I remember a lot of people complaining about it. I think Jonathan Rosenbaum even did an alternate Top 100 that seemed much more interesting to me.
Of course, the more people vote... I mean, how can you seriously include Sleepless in Seattle for consideration?
But I guess I have to see most of the 400 films yet, as I'm not as knowledgable as you when it comes to US films.
My 56K modem is taking a bit long to open the link, and now that it's finished I cannot read its content - only some cryptic signs...

Of the films remaining most of them don't particular interest me, but a few I already planned to see, just never got around to it. I'm leaning towards a marathon of exploitation films now that Grindhouse is being released here today.

Now a few glaring ommisions from the last list have been rectified. Now they are acknowledging Intolerance, Buster Keaton, Sunrise, Preston Sturges, Nashville, Spike Lee, and an Astair and Rogers film. I can also breath easy knowing that I have seen all 100 films, despite not having seen all 400 films on the ballot.

Now of course the list of complaints was going to be hefty. I'm upset Beh-Hur dropped all the way to #100. Also pisses me off that Pulp Fiction is STILL below Forest Gump, and now Shawshank Redemption.

Oh and the top of the "@#%$ this list" awards goes to snubbing All Quiet on the Western Front, which was on the last list, and is quite possibly the greatest film ever made. That said all hopes of the list being an improvement on the last have gone up in smoke.

Anyways more bitching surely to come, but at least the Searchers isn't sitting at #96 anymore.

Dances With Wolves was on the original list, another slight this time around that irked me. I could certainly come up with another 100 that weren't here. I'm intrigued by some of your choices, and am somewhat impressed you have selected A Woman of Affairs, which remains my favorite one of Garbo's silent films and a picture remarkably ahead of its time.

I also FINALLY rented The Brown Bunny so I'll be able to see what you and arsaib find so damn fascinating about it.